Singapore celebrates 49th National Day
Singaporean Ambassador Hirubalan V P and his charming wife Mano hosted a reception at the Makati Shangri-La’s Rizal Ballroom to celebrate Singapore’s 49th National Day. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario led the guests that included diplomats and businessmen as they commemorated the day when the city-state gained its independence from Malaysia in 1965.
A National Day parade was held in Singapore to mark the country’s 49th birthday, with attendees saying it was the best they have witnessed so far and made even more special by the appearance of the republic’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. People broke out in wild cheer and applause when Lee, recognized as Singapore’s founding father, credited Singapore’s progress in the last two decades to the hard work of the people.
Despite its size, with the population estimated at a little over five million, Singapore has distinguished itself for being one of the biggest and highly developed economies in the Southeast Asian region. It is a favorite destination of investors owing to its reputation as one of the least corrupt, aside from the fact that it has low tax rates and therefore perceived as business-friendly.
Diplomatic relations between Singapore and the Philippines were established in 1969, and currently, an estimated 180,000 Filipinos live in Singapore. The tiny nation-state is also the fifth biggest source of investments in the Philippines with the amount of investments placed at $345 million. According to records, it also ranks fourth among the top trade partners with bilateral trade estimated at $8 billion last year.
Photos by Ramon Joseph J. Ruiz
